User Reviews

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by
Martin
a AudioPhile

Date Reviewed: March 5, 2010

Bottom Line:

This is definetely one of the greatest CD players ever made. I also own a Primare DVD 30 multiplayer, which contains the latest technology (...compared to the Wadia 16). The Primare is no match for the Wadia: Soundstage, resolution, bass response, rhythm, are lightyears better with the 16!! Okay, price range isn't quite comparable (Primare: 3000€, Wadia: 10'000€), but since the moment I bought he Wadia, there is a gap of almost 15 years. There has allegedly been a lot of technical progress in CD playback during that time, which let shine the achievments Wadia's engineers with the 16 shine even more...

But make sure to use very good Interconnect Cables when you play the Wadia 16! It deserves (...and needs) the best cables around. I had awesome results with the Transparent Ultras!

I tried out this device as a local dealer had one and I'd heard many good things about Wadia. Had it performed well, I would have bought it. However, sound-wise, it simply didn't outperform a much cheaper Meridian 588. It did sound different (a bit darker in tone, which some might prefer), but certainly not "better" in qualitative terms. I won't be buying it.

This CD-Player has some strenghts over other players, which can be described as follows: First you notice the very deep and powerfull bass. You get deep bass also from other equipment, but witch the lack of spatial information. All kind of instruments which have small rise times (percussion, ...) come with explosive attacks -awesome inner details even where you would never expect it. the spatial information is as good like never heard before. the resolution is so outstanding good, that you can hear a *lot* of things never heard before in your best known records. I used a Sony 777 ES with all the op-amps changed to the best Burr-Brown types. Not bad - but HiFi. The Wadia is not HiFi, it is just music. I would have never believed that there is so much music and information on the CDs, regardless what they are. From the oldes ones (Rennaissance, Abba, The Doors, ...) via Jazz-Rock (Camel, ...), Rock (Rush, Pink Floyd, ...) to the latest dance music. It is amazing, amazing, amazing! I listen to it with a STAX Omega II headphone and Apogee speakers. I do use a preamplifier - CJ PFR - which sounds better in my case, as I have the amps on pre-out and the headphone on tape-out. If you only have power-amps, or a pre-amp not state-of-the-art drive the amp directly from the Wadia. This unit is not cheap. It is extremely expensive, indeed. But after trying it out, I have to say that this is worth the money. It makes music. Nothing less! Like there are headphones and Stax earspeakers, there are CD-Players and the Wadia. It is technically descibed a CD-Player, but sonically it is a Stradivari. I needed hours to get my totally overloaded ears recognize the gazillions of details never heard before. And the unit get better every day since then, as far as my ears are capable to follow into its sonic dimensions. The player iself is built that wou think a Krell amplifier is a cheap plstic toy compared to it. 24 kilos! If you want to know how it feels to knock on its front, go out to the street and knock on the ground.Many of my friends said this Wadia 16 is much better than ML 39 in most aspects.

I picked this up basically for free at a local garage sale. Apparently, an angry wife was getting back at her unfaithful husband (some big shot executive at some company, I forgot the name) by liquidating his audio gear for cheap while he's away on a business trip. I should have gotten there earlier because I saw some fella heaving away a very nice heavy looking mono block amp (probably also got it at a very nice price). I hooked it up to my HT receiver, and honestly, I can't tell the difference between it and my Sony 333ES SACD changer when playing red book CDs. I know some of you audiophiles will probably say I am deaf, but that's just the truth of it. I just can't tell a difference in A/B blind test. Guess I'll just drop it on Ebay and make some quick bucks. But I would wholeheartedly recommend it if you could find it second hand- even up to $500 I think it would still be a good value.

This is a super CD player, it has top grade resolution, imaging, details! It has digital volume control, so it can bypass preamp and link directly to power amp. By cut off pre amp, it bring the sound even more pure and still not losing any dynamic! Remember, the best pre amp is no pre amp at all! You can save the budget on pre amp and a inter connect cable and upgrade your speakers! I upgrade Wadia 16 to 16i by Wadia in 1999, and I believe this upgrade make this CD player at much higher level performance!If you are lucky enough to find one on the used market, get it!